Mary Jackson was left for three hours on a supermarket floor before an ambulance came to stabilise her

The pensioner was unable to move after the fall and was forced to lie on the floor for a staggering three hours before paramedics arrived to take her to hospital.

Mrs Jackson’s children have branded the treatment “shocking” and demanded an investigation into why their elderly mother was left waiting so long.

Daughter Pamela Marshman, 58, who was with her mother when she fell, said: “To leave an 84-year-old woman, who is diabetic and has heart problems, lying on a cold supermarket floor for three hours is just not right.”

Staff at Morrisons in Consett were ‘absolutely marvellous’ according to Mary’s daughter

After describing the cause of the fall as her mother tripping over her own feet as she reached for eggs from a shelf Mrs Marshman said it was impossible to move the pensioner before the paramedics arrived.

She said: “Mum was in immediate pain and couldn’t be moved at all.

“The staff at the store were absolutely marvellous – they got duvets to wrap around her and the on-duty manager rang for an ambulance straight away.”

Mrs Jackson suffered a broken leg and hip but had to lie on the supermarket floor for three hours in agony before paramedics arrived

An off-duty nurse, who spoke to the emergency services during the second call, stayed with Mrs Jackson throughout the ordeal.

Mrs Marshman said: “An off-duty nurse came in and said she would stay with us.

“She spoke to the ambulance service the next time we rang, gave mum’s medial details and they said again that they would upgrade it.

“She was getting colder and colder and her other leg was starting to shake so we had to get more blankets.”

“After about two hours we were wondering if the ambulance was going to come at all.”

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At 2.09pm, three hours after the original emergency call, the ambulance arrived.

Her daughter said: “My mum has had 10 children but she kept saying she’d never known pain like this and there was no-one around to give her any pain relief.”
Once paramedics arrived they stabilised Mrs Jackson and gave her pain killers.

Mrs Jackson was taken to the University Hospital of North Durham after three hours waiting for an ambulance

The elderly woman was taken to the University Hospital of North Durham where she remains following an operation.

Two ambulance drivers filmed 'racing each other'

Her son, Bob, has submitted a formal complaint with the North East Ambulance Service over the length of time his mother was left waiting on the floor.

He said: "It's an absolute disgrace to leave an old lady lying on the floor like that - it was embarrassing for her because she was in pain and distressed, with people doing their shopping around her."

The pensioner's son has launched a formal complaint against North East Ambulance Service after the incident

A North East Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We are very sorry for the delay experienced by Mrs Jackson and the discomfort and distress this must have caused her and those around her.

“We have received a formal complaint, which we will respond to in due course.

“At times of pressure, life threatening cases will always take priority for our resources and, despite our attempts to send ambulances to patients who have been waiting, they can regularly be diverted to those with life threatening symptoms.”

NEAS confirmed that the call was classed as non life-threatening, and said there was no national target response time for such calls.